The Senior CLASS (Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School) Award is presented yearly to a Division I senior student-athlete who has notable achievements in four areas of excellence - community, classroom, character and competition.

Hayes is a two-time NSCAA first team All-American and has earned back-to-back Big Ten Forward of the Year honors. The forward was named to the 2013 MAC Hermann Watch List earlier this week after finishing as a semifinalist for the prestigious award 2012 and a finalist in 2011. She enters her senior season as the No. 6 player in the country and the No. 2 player in the Big Ten, according to Top Drawer Soccer.

A two-time first team All-Big Ten selection, Hayes was second on the team in goals (16) and points (38) in 2012 despite missing the first seven games while participating in the U20 World Cup with the U.S. U20 Women's National Team. She led the nation in scoring in her sophomore season, registering 31 goals and eight assists for a Big Ten-record 70 points.

A kinesiology major, Hayes has received several academic awards during her time as a Nittany Lion. She was a 2011 CoSIDA/Captial One third-team Academic All-America selection and CoSIDA/Capital One first team All-District selection. Hayes was included on the Dean's List for the spring 2013 semester and was inducted into Penn State's Athletic Honor Society, Spiritus Leoninus. She is also a two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection.

The 30-member candidate pool will be narrowed to 10 finalists midway through the regular season, and those 10 finalists will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select the female candidate who best exemplifies excellence in community, classroom, character and competition. The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2013 NCAA Women's College Cup in Cary, N.C. in December.